Headway 3B - Unit 7 - Present Perfect

Common Mistakes

Overcoming obstacles

I have arrived last week.

How long do you work here?

I live here since May.

It's rained for hours.

They've been married since 10 years.

The mail has just delivered.

Present Perfect

Don't worry!

Every little thing is gonna be alright...

Practice / Discussing grammar

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CD2 27

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Present Perfect Simple Passive

* the uses are the same in the passive as in the active.

Grammar Spot

She lives in Scotland.

has been

have been

+

Calvin Klein

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past

participle

A fact that is still true.

Two million CDs have been sold so far.

* Writing - page 105

Present Perfect Continuous

Uses:

Presentation

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• An activity that began in the past and is continuing NOW.

-> Sometimes there is no difference between the simple and the continuous.

I've played the piano since I was a boy. I've been playing the piano since I was a boy.

-> The continuous can express a temporary activity, while the simpl expresses a permanent state.

1. Simple as a completed action:

I've painted the kitchen, now I'm doing the bathroom.

I've been reading all day.

I've read 10 chapters.

I've read all day.

I've been reading 10 chapters.

The continuous expresses an activity over a period of time.

• A past activity that has caused a present result.

I have got paint in my hair because I've been decorating my room.

A finished action in the past.

(The beautiful game)

2. Some verbs have the idea of a long time, for example, wait, work, play, try, learn, rain. These verbs are often found in the continuous.

I've been working all day long. (I'm tired now)

Have you been crying? (Your eyes are red now)

I've cut my finger. (one short action)

I've been cutting firewood. (perhaps over several hours)

Some verbs DON'T have the idea of a long time, for example, find, start, buy, die, lose, break, stop. These verbs are more usually found in the simple.

I've lost my passport.

Have you started your homework already?

An action that began in the past and continues in the present.

She lived in Portugal for 3 years.

Be aware of the mistakes students often commit

She's lived in Scotland since 1993.

An experience that happened at some time in the past.

She's lived in England, Portugal and Scotland.

Start

Present Perfect x Simple Past

I've done it for a long time

since July.

before.

recently.

already.

Be careful!

I did it

* Have you seen Laura this morning?

(it's still morning!)

*Did you see Laura this morning?

(it's the afternoon or evening.)

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*How long are you here for? Just three days. I arrived yesterday and I'll leave tomorrow.

*How long have you been here? I've been here a week already. I arrived last Tuesday.

yesterday.

last week.

two days ago.

at 8:00.

in 1987.

when I was young.

for a long time.

The key thing students need to understand is that the Present Perfect links past and present.

Its main uses are:

Possible problems...

1 Students often think the Present Perfect is interchangeable with other past tenses, notably the Simple Past.

2 They think the use of tenses in their own language (portuguese) can be applied in English, especially with the unfinished past use, where they often use a present tense.

3 They forget that the idea of an activity continuing over a period requires the continuous form, especially if they don't have the continuous form in their language (portuguese).

4 They may use adverbs and time expressions incorrectly.

5 They may fail to recognize the need for a passive form.

UNFINISHED PAST

I've been self-employed for a year.

( = I still am)

The preposition FOR + period of time and SINCE + point in time are common with this use.

EXPERIENCE USE

I've lived in Paris and Milan.

( = at some time in my life I did this, and I still remember it)

The adverbs EVER/NEVER/BEFORE are common with this use.

PRESENT IMPORTANCE

I've just missed my plane.

( = this is important now, as I have to book another flight)

The adverbs YET/ALREADY/JUST are common with this use.